Work supporting attachment for screw machines and the like



Sept. 9, 1952 s. o. SHUMAKER WORK SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT FOR SCREWMACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed March '7, 1950 Gum-neg Patented Sept. 9,1952 WORK SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT FOR SCREW MACHINES THE LIKE Samuel 0.Shumaker, Merchantville, N. J. Application March '7, 1950, Serial No.148,078

This invention relates to work supporting attachments for screw machinesand the like, and more particularly to a roller rest for supporting barstock or stock of turned diameters while performing various operationsthereon.

Various forms of work supporting attachments have been providedheretofore for supporting, in screw machines, lathes, etc., the work onwhich such operations as turning, forming, knurling, thread rolling andso on are performed. Such attachments are usually of the so-called solidtype and are formed with a stationary, V-shaped holder against which thework bears during the course of the operation performed thereon. Due tomany well known disadvantages of such solid type work holders, it hasbeen proposed to form work holders with rollers against which the workcan be made to bear. The roller type work supports, or roller rests, asthey are known, offer the advantages of avoiding freezing and ofeliminating galling and marring of the work. However, conventionalroller rests are provided with rollers which are carried on pins orshafts mounted in bearings on the work supporting units. In suchconstructions, there is a definite limit to the diameters to which therollers can be reduced since they must be of a diameter considerablygreater than their supporting pins or shafts. Moreover, if the rollersupporting shafts or pins are made of small diameter, they arerelatively weak and cannot withstand heavy loads. Thus, it is clear thatconventional roller rest supports are inherently limited in theirusefulness.

Now, it frequently happens that the diameter of the stock operated on isitself quite smallperhaps of the order of 1%" or less. As the di-.

ameter of the work approaches the diameter of the supporting shafts ofthe rollers, it is apparent that the use of shaft supported,conventional rollers becomes impractical. Hence, for work of smalldiameter, resort has been had to the solid type rests with theirattendant disadvantages.

The primary object of my invention'is to provide an improved roller restwork supporting attachment for screw machines and the like which will beentirely free from the disadvantages of heretofore known attachments ofthis type.

More particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide animproved roller rest construction which will readily and effectivelyaccommodate work of very small diameter.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved roller restconstruction which can be used efficiently in small places whilepermitting the maximum amount of room for lubrication and 9 Claims. (Cl.29*57) for chip escape. This is a feature not found in prior art rollerrest constructions.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved rollerrest construction which will carry heavy loads without danger ofbreaking.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved roller restconstruction wherein the rollers can be made much longer than in priorconstructions of this type, thereby affording longer work supportingcontact for the work.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide an improved rollerrest construction which can be manufactured at considerably less costthan roller rest constructions known heretofore.

It is also an object of my invention to provide an improved roller restconstruction as aforesaid which is simple in construction, which has along life, and which is highly efficient in use.

In accordance with my present invention, I provide the work supportingattachment with a roller block or support formed with roller seats inwhich the rollers rest and in'which they are free to turn or roll. Thus,the conventional roller pins or shafts are entirely eliminated, andtherefore the rollers themselves may be made of small diameter stock toaccommodate work of small diameter. At the same time, the seats providestrong, firm supports for the rollers whereby the rollers can assumeheavy loads without danger of breaking. In addition, because the rollerscan be of very small diameter, the unit or attachment can be usedefficiently in small spaces to which conventional roller rest worksupports cannot be accommodated suitably for ready lubrication andremoval of chips or other foreign matter.

The novel features of my invention, both as to its organization andmethod of operation, as well as additional objects and advantagesthereof, will best be understood from the following description of oneembodiment thereof, when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a work supportingattachment for screw machines or the like provided with one form ofimproved roller rest construction in accordance with my presentinvention,

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the attachment of Figure l, v

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3- -3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, front ele-' vation of the rollerblock of Figures 1 to 3 showing the work supporting rollers in theirrespective seats and the roller confining screw partly in section, and

Figure is a front elevation of another form of roller block according tomy invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout, there is shown, inFigures 1 to 3, a roller rest work supporting attachment having a bodyportion I of L-shaped form provided with a channel or groove 3 in itsfront face and with a shank 5 which extends rearwardly from its rearface. The shank 5, by means of which the attachment can be secured toany suitable machine of the type mentioned heretofore, may be centrallybored for slidable reception therein of a stop member 1' against which aworkpiece 9, such as a rod or the like,

may abut, as clearly shown in Figure 3. The stop member I may beadjusted to any desired position on the body I and releasably lockedtherein by a set screw I I, or it may be removed, when not needed, topermit a long piece of work to extend into or through the bore in theshank 5.

Slidably and removably received withinxthe channel 3 is a roller blockI3 which is mounted in the channel 3 for adjustment longitudinallytherealong. A set screw I5 releasably locks the block I3 in any desiredposition of adjustment in the channel 3. The upper end of the block 3(i. e., the one most proximate to the shank 5 and its stop member 1) 'isprovided'with a pair of closely adjacent, cylindrical seats I'Iseparated by a slight ridge l9. Rotatably supported by each of the seatsI! is a cylindrical work engaging roller 2I,- the rollers havingsubstantially the same diameter as the seats so as to fit snugly thereinbut being free to rotate on the seats I! and to have the work 9 bearagainst them for support. The rollers 2I may be made of hard steel,Carboloy, or any other suitable hard material. The seats I! may extendentirely through the block I3, if desired. However, they are preferablymade to extend only partly through the block -I3,-or a distance short ofthe thickness thereof. This permits forming on the rear portion of theblock I3 conical seats 23 in whichcone tips 25 on the rollers 2I arereceived to minimize end friction and insure accurate alignment of therollers.

The seats I! and .the rollers 2| are preferably made on the samediameter. The spacing between the seats II, the width of the ridge I Sand the diameter of the rollers 2I may be selected with due'regard forthe diameter of the work 9 which is to be operated on. In practice, Ihave used a roller rest construction as above described to successfullyaccommodate work having a diameter of as little as inch. Forthispurpose, I have used rollers having a diameter of approximately 3%inch. This isentirely feasible with my improved roller rest constructionbecause. the rollers 2! do not depend on pins or shafts for theirsupport, but are supported by and roll or turn on their respective seatsITI. To prevent accidental endwise displacement of the rollers fromtheir seats, a screw 21 having a large head'is threaded into the blockI3 below the ridge I9 in a location such that the screw head will engagethe front ends of the rollers 2! to releasably confine the rollers intheir seats without, however, substantially impairing their freedom torotate on the seats [1.

As best seen from Figures 2 and 4, each'seat H, in the particularmodification illustrated, extends over an arc of about 185. While thisare may be greater than 185, as circumstances may require, an arc of atleast 185 is preferred in order to give the rollers adequate support andto prevent lateral displacement of the rollers. The rollers are insertedinto the seats I! endwise from the front face of the block I3.Preferably, al-

though not necessarily, the ridge I9 should extend up between therollers 2! to a point below a horizontal line L connecting the centersof the rollers. This. permits diposing the rollers very close to eachother so that small diameter work can be readily accommodated thereon.

The attachment can be mounted on a screw machine, lathe, or the like byplacing the shank 5 in the turret or tool slide thereof. The stop memberI may then be adjusted on the body I to the desired position to controlthe distance the stock is to be fed, and the block I3 may be adjustedalong the channel I3 to bring the rollers 2I into desired relation withthe work 9, or into predetermined relation with the member 'I.Thereafter, the block I3 is locked in position and a forming or othersuitable operation is performed on the work.

In the form of myinvention shown in Figure 5, the roller block [3a isprovided with an opening 29 in the body thereof for reception of thework. Circumferentially around the opening 29, the block I3a is providedwith a pluralit of cylindrical seats .IIa which communicate with theopening 29 and in which cylindrical rollers 2m are seated, each roller2| a being confined in its seat Ila by a screw 210. as described above.When the rollers 2Ia are placed in their respective seats, they extendsomewhat into the work receiving opening 29 by. reason of the fact thateach seat I'Ia extends over an arc of less than 360. Thus, the portionsof the rollers 2 la within the opening 29. define a circle of a diameterless than that of the opening 29- and equal substantially to thatofthework 9a to be received in the opening 29 whereby the work willengage the rollers tangentially. The same advantages of thhe firmsupport for the rollers ZIaand ability to assume heavy loads areafforded by the roller rest construction of Figure 5 as are. afforded bythe construction of Figures 1 to 4.

. From the foregoing description, it will be apparentthat I haveprovided an improved roller rest construction which is strong anddurable, which can. accommodate work of very smalldiameter, which itselfoccupies but little space, and which readily lends itself to facilelubrication and chip clearance. Although I have shown and described buttwo embodiments of my invention, it will undoubtedly be apparent tothose skilled in the art that many other modifications, as well asvarious changes in the ones herein described, are possible within thespirit of m invention. For example, the block .I3 may be made in two ormore relatively adjustable parts, each having a roller seat therein, andeach having associated with it a separate confining element correspond-.ing to the screw 27. Other changes Within the spirit of my inventionwill, no doubt, readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.1 therefore desire that theforegoing shall be taken as illustrative andnot as limiting.

I claim as myinvention:

.LA work supporting attachment for, screw .machines and the like, saidattachment comprising a roller block having at least one seat in one endthereof, and a roller rotatably carried in said seat, said seatextending into said block a distance short of the thickness of saidblock and terminating in asecond seat angularly related to said first 5named seat, one end of said roller also engaging said second seat.

2. A work supporting attachment for screw machines and the like, saidattachment comprising a roller block having a first pair of closelyadjacent seats in one end thereof, and a roller rotatably supported oneach of said seats, said first pair of seats extending into said block adistance short of the thickness thereof and terminating each in a secondseat angularly related to their respective first named seats, and saidrollers each having an end engaging a separate one of said second seats.

3. A work supporting attachment according to claim 2 wherein said firstnamed seats and said rollers have cylindrical curvature.

4. A work supporting attachment according to claim 2 wherein said firstnamed seats and said rollers have cylindrical curvature of substantiallythe same diameter whereby said rollers fit snugly in their respectiveseats.

5. A work supporting attachmentaccording to claim 4 wherein said firstnamed seats extend over an arc of at least 185.

6. A work supporting attachment for screw machines or the like, saidattachment comprising a roller block having a pair of closely adjacentseats in one end thereof separated by a ridge, and a roller rotatablysupported on each of said seats, said ridge extending in between saidrollers a distance short of a line connecting the centers of saidrollers whereby said rollers, when disposed in said seats, will lie inclosely adjacent relation.

7. A work supporting attachment for screw machines and the like, saidattachment comprising a roller block having a, first pair of seats inone end thereof, a roller rotatably carried in each of said seats forfree rotation therein, said first pair of seats extending into saidblock a distance short of the thickness thereof and terminating each ina second seat angularly related to their respective first named seats,said rollers each having an end engaging a separate one of said secondseats, and means confining said rollers in their respective seatsagainst accidental removal therefrom but without substantially impairingthe freedom of said rollers to rotate on said first named seats.

8. A work supporting attachment for screw' machines and the like, saidattachment comprising a body portion provided with a channel, a

roller block slidably received in said channel for adjustmenttherealong, means for releasably looking said block in any desiredposition of adjustment in said channel, said block having a first pairof seats therein, a roller rotatably carried in each of said seats, saidfirst pair of seats extending into said block a distance short of thethickness thereof and terminating each in a second seat angularlyrelated to their respective first named seats, said rollers each havingan end engaging a separate one of said second seats, and means confiningsaid rollers in their respective seats against accidental removaltherefrom but without substantially impairing their freedom to rotate onsaid first named seats.

9. A work supporting attachment for screw machines and the like, saidattachment comprising a body portion provided with a channel in thefront face thereof and having a rearwardly extending shank for mountingin said machines, a roller block slidably received in said channel foradjustment therealong, means for releasably locking said block in anydesired position of adjustment in said channel, said block having a pairof seats therein at the end thereof which is most proximate to saidshank, a roller rotatably carried in each of said seats, and meansconfining said rollers in their respective seats against accidentalremoval therefrom but without substantially impairing their freedom torotate on said seats, said shank including a stop member against which aworkpiece bearing on said rollers can abut, and said block beingadjustable in said channel to permit bringing said rollers intopredetermined relation with said stop member.

SAMUEL O. SHUMAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

